Accolade Healthcare, a skilled nursing provider based in Illinois, launched a video campaign to help with recruitment, which has been running for over a year and has made a positive workforce impact — and awards for the organization. 

Launched in 2017 Accolade Healthcare provides care in six skilled nursing facilities across central Illinois, where its services include long term care, respite care and outpatient therapy.

Nicole McIntosh, Director of Marketing, said she wanted the campaign to be something prospective employees engage with on Accolade’s employment site, beyond a graphic or a photo.

“We were able to take all levels of staff – we interviewed our nursing staff, manager staff, housekeeping maintenance – and really had the opportunity to let our staff shine,” she said. “People shared the reasons they think we are a great employer, what they have learned at Accolade, and also the growth potential and why they want to continue working with us.”

The provider achieved its aims so successfully, Accolade took home first-place honors in the video/TV campaign category of the 2023 Aging Media Network Aspect Awards.

McIntosh said the Accolade marketing team came up with the idea for the campaign during the pandemic, when staffing challenges were at their height.

“Every skilled nursing facility was seeing staffing challenges at that time, and we’re all making the move to work on reducing agency in our communities,” she said.

Accolade has locations across Illinois, so the video team shot in multiple locations.

“Being able to put a video out there to connect with applicants, it’s much different than just having a still photo or graphic,” she said. “…It produces a much better return. And so it really helps to spend the extra money on something like a campaign like this.”

Specifically, the team wanted to bring in more individuals based in rural areas, and stronger candidates in general.

The video campaign shows the “branded side of Accolade along with really organic feedback from our staff” with the goal of connecting workers with Accolade and encouraging them to apply for jobs, McIntosh said.. “We are really trying to bring longevity with the agency world out there, not just short-term employment. We want people to become part of the Accolade family and I think that’s the biggest thing to stress.”

Accolade President Moe Freedman said that while it is difficult to identify the net result of the video from a staffing perspective, the team has received positive responses and references to the video.

“If it’s done authentically, and it translates from the video, which I believe it has – it definitely made for a better outcome and more opportunities for hire and for interviews on a management level,” he said.

He said the video is a step in the company’s efforts to reestablish their quality of care and grow their footprint in Illinois.

“All of us who watched our employees speaking positively about a company that we’ve invested so much time and energy in creating an environment that is conducive to productivity and enjoyment of their job in a very stressful environment – it was very rewarding just to see that,” Freedman said.